NetSmart
NetSmart was a New Zealand telecommunications and internet-service provider based in Tauranga.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
NetSmart Limited was a telecommunications and internet-services provider headquartered in Tauranga, in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty region. Established in 1998, the company developed from an internet-access business into a regional network operator with capabilities spanning web hosting, broadband connectivity, wireless infrastructure, data-centre services, and business and residential telecommunications. The company began web hosting operations in 1999. During the following decade it concentrated on building infrastructure intended to serve areas that were not necessarily well served by conventional fixed-line broadband. In 2002, NetSmart began constructing a broadband wireless network across the Bay of Plenty and connected to the Auckland Peering Exchange. These steps gave the business both a regional access network and improved connectivity with wider New Zealand internet traffic. NetSmart moved into a purpose-built data centre at Regency House in Tauranga in 2004. Its broadband coverage subsequently expanded from Waihi through to Whakatane, supporting the company's role as a regional wireless internet provider. In 2007, it built a digital microwave radio backhaul link from Auckland's Sky Tower to Tauranga, designed to scale to Gigabit Ethernet. Fibre-based backup was added to that Auckland link in 2008, improving resilience and reducing dependence on a single radio route. The company began licensed WiMAX trials in 2009 and launched a business licensed-WiMAX service in 2010 across Matamata-Piako, Hauraki, Western Bay of Plenty, and Tauranga districts. In 2011, NetSmart extended the technology to a high-speed residential broadband and phone service. Coverage was later expanded to Hamilton and Cambridge in the Waikato in 2012, followed by the Bombay area of Auckland. This progression reflected NetSmart's strategy of using wireless broadband to reach both commercial and residential customers across a geographically broad regional footprint. NetSmart acquired Skynet, a Waikato-based wireless internet service provider, in 2013. The transaction strengthened its presence in the Waikato and complemented the company's existing wireless network. NetSmart also expanded after-hours and weekend customer support in 2014 and introduced an Ultrafast Wireless product in 2015. In the same year, it established a sister company in Nairobi, Kenya, although the available reference material does not identify the precise scope or duration of that operation. In 2016, NetSmart's internet branch was acquired by Lightwire Limited. Existing employees continued operating the business under the name Eco Datacenter. This transaction marks the end of NetSmart's operation as an independent internet-service brand in the available historical record. NetSmart is therefore best understood as a defunct regional New Zealand telecommunications company whose principal identity was built around wireless broadband, network infrastructure, hosting, and data-centre services.
History
NetSmart Limited was founded in 1998 in Tauranga, New Zealand. Its early activities were connected with internet access and hosting, and the company commenced web-hosting services in 1999. Rather than remaining solely a reseller or local access provider, NetSmart invested in telecommunications infrastructure intended to extend broadband availability across the Bay of Plenty and nearby regions. In 2002, NetSmart began building a broadband wireless network in the Bay of Plenty and connected to the Auckland Peering Exchange. The peering connection supported more direct exchange of internet traffic, while the wireless network gave the company a platform for regional broadband delivery. In 2004, NetSmart relocated to a custom-built data centre at Regency House in Tauranga. By 2005, its broadband coverage had expanded from Waihi to Whakatane. The company continued to develop its backbone during the second half of the 2000s. In 2007, NetSmart constructed a digital microwave backhaul route between Auckland's Sky Tower and Tauranga, with planned scalability to Gigabit Ethernet. In 2008, fibre was added as a backup path for the Auckland connection. NetSmart began licensed WiMAX trials in 2009 and simultaneously undertook the fit-out of another Tauranga data centre. Commercial WiMAX deployment followed in 2010, when NetSmart launched a business service in Matamata-Piako, Hauraki, Western Bay of Plenty, and Tauranga districts. In 2011, it introduced high-speed licensed-WiMAX broadband and phone services for residential customers. Coverage expanded in 2012 to Hamilton and Cambridge in the Waikato and to the Bombay area of Auckland. These expansions made NetSmart a multi-region wireless provider rather than a company limited to Tauranga. In 2013, NetSmart acquired Skynet, a Waikato wireless internet service provider. The acquisition added regional customers and infrastructure to NetSmart's network. In 2014, the company extended after-hours and weekend customer support. It launched its Ultrafast Wireless product in 2015 and also established a sister company in Nairobi, Kenya. The available references do not provide enough information to describe the Kenyan operation in detail. NetSmart's independent operation ended in 2016, when Lightwire Limited acquired its internet branch. Existing staff continued working under the Eco Datacenter name. The available record does not state whether every historical NetSmart asset, service, or corporate function transferred in the same way, but the transaction is the clearest documented endpoint for the NetSmart brand as an independent internet business.
- 2016
Internet branch transfers to Lightwire
[1]Lightwire Limited acquires NetSmart's internet branch, with continuing operations under the Eco Datacenter name.
- 2015
Ultrafast Wireless launches
[1]NetSmart launches its Ultrafast Wireless product and establishes a sister company in Nairobi, Kenya.
- 2013
Skynet is acquired
[1]NetSmart acquires the Waikato-based wireless internet provider Skynet.
- 2012
WiMAX coverage reaches Waikato and Bombay
[1]Coverage expands to Hamilton and Cambridge in Waikato and the Bombay region of Auckland.
- 2011
Residential WiMAX broadband and phone service launches
[1]NetSmart introduces high-speed residential licensed-WiMAX broadband combined with telephone service.
- 2010
Business licensed-WiMAX service launches
[1]Licensed WiMAX service becomes available to business customers in several Bay of Plenty and Waikato districts.
- 2009
Licensed WiMAX trials begin
[1]NetSmart starts trials of licensed WiMAX while fitting out a new Tauranga data centre.
- 2008
Fibre backup is added
[1]The company adds fibre-based backup to its Auckland–Tauranga microwave link.
- 2007
Auckland–Tauranga microwave backhaul is built
[1]NetSmart builds a digital microwave backhaul from Auckland's Sky Tower to Tauranga, designed for later Gigabit Ethernet scaling.
- 2005
Bay of Plenty coverage expands
[1]Broadband coverage extends from Waihi through to Whakatane.
Products and positioning
A regional New Zealand telecommunications provider focused on wireless broadband, internet access, hosting, and resilient network infrastructure for business and residential customers.
Hosting · 1999
Web hosting
NetSmart began web-hosting operations in 1999. The service formed part of the company's broader internet-services portfolio and was later supported by its Tauranga data-centre infrastructure.
Wireless broadband · 2010
Licensed WiMAX broadband
NetSmart's licensed WiMAX offering was developed through trials beginning in 2009 and commercialized for business customers in 2010. The service was subsequently extended to residential broadband and phone customers and expanded across parts of the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Auckland regions.
Residential telecommunications · 2011
Residential WiMAX broadband and phone
Introduced in 2011, this service combined high-speed residential wireless broadband with telephone service over NetSmart's licensed-WiMAX network.
Wireless broadband · 2015
Ultrafast Wireless
Ultrafast Wireless was launched in 2015 as a later-generation NetSmart wireless connectivity product. The available reference material identifies the product but does not provide detailed technical specifications or customer pricing.
Data-centre and infrastructure services · 2004
Data-centre services
NetSmart operated data-centre facilities in Tauranga, including a custom-built facility at Regency House and a later fit-out. These facilities supported hosting and network operations.
Brand decisions
2016
Transfer of the internet branch to LightwireM&ABackground
NetSmart had operated a regional portfolio covering wireless broadband, internet access, hosting, and data-centre services.
Action taken
Lightwire Limited acquired NetSmart's internet branch. Existing staff continued operating the business under the Eco Datacenter name.
Aftermath
The transaction ended NetSmart's operation as an independent internet-service brand in the available record. The sources do not specify the purchase price or the treatment of every historical NetSmart asset.
2015
Launch of Ultrafast WirelessProduct launchBackground
After expanding licensed-WiMAX coverage and serving both business and residential customers, NetSmart added a higher-speed wireless product to its portfolio.
Action taken
NetSmart launched Ultrafast Wireless.
Aftermath
The product became one of the company's final documented service additions before its internet branch was acquired by Lightwire in 2016. Technical and commercial performance figures are not available in the supplied sources.
2013
Acquisition of SkynetM&ABackground
Skynet was a wireless internet service provider operating in the Waikato region, an area in which NetSmart was also expanding its licensed-WiMAX coverage.
Action taken
NetSmart acquired Skynet and incorporated its regional presence into the broader NetSmart business.
Aftermath
The acquisition strengthened NetSmart's position in the Waikato. The available sources do not report the transaction value or detailed integration arrangements.
Sources3 sources
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